Recent Features

In collaboration with 15 specialty surgical organizations, the American College of Surgeons (ACS) has published and released its seventh edition of Physicians as Assistants at Surgery. The report is meant to provide guidance to CMS and third-party payors on how often an operation might require the use of a physician as an assistant.…

For patients that are presenting with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), national guidelines recommend that the door-to-balloon time be less than 90 minutes. “The problem is that when patients present to the hospital with a STEMI in the middle of the night, there may be delays in care,” explains Jorge F.…

About 10% of older adults who seek care in EDs throughout the United States experience delirium. The condition can foretell other health issues and causes distress to patients and caregivers. Delirium also puts patients at increased risk for poor outcomes. Studies indicate that the condition adds between $38 billion and $152 billion annually to healthcare expenditures in the U.S.…

The American Heart Association and American Stroke Association have updated guidelines for secondary prevention in patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack. The update includes new sections on nutrition and sleep apnea and revises other sections, including those concerning hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, carotid stenosis, and atrial fibrillation.

Recent efforts to improve the quality of care for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke patients and increased use of evidence-based treatments have led to a significant drop in hospitalization and mortality rates. Although encouraging, clinicians are urged to stay committed to efforts aimed at improving CVD and stroke outcomes.

When managing patients with type 2 diabetes, clinicians should discuss preventive strategies that can help them avoid complications and possibly slow disease progression. Tools are available to help guide these conversations and perhaps improve long-term outcomes associated with the disease.

New guidelines recommend that healthcare providers offer uninfected patients daily doses of specific anti-HIV medications if they are at substantial risk of HIV infection. Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, has the potential to reduce HIV infection rates when taken consistently as prescribed.

The growth in total knee arthroplasty volume has outpaced that of total hip arthroplasty among Americans who are obese and overweight. If obesity rates continue to climb, the magnitude of this effect will become increasingly problematic.

Detecting HIV in the acute stage is important because patients are highly infectious at that time and may spread the infection unknowingly. “Diagnosing HIV at the acute stage can also lead to earlier treatment, which in turn can improve patient health and decrease risks for further transmission,” says Michael S.…

In recent years, the incidence of HIV infection has decreased for most age groups. Study results have shown that presenting to care earlier in the disease course can limit immune deterioration and HIV transmission. The CDC recommends that all people aged 13 and older be tested for HIV, a recommendation that appears to have made an impact on testing rates.…